Over 2mn receive at least one dose of Covid vaccine

Qatar reached another milestone in its fight against Covid-19 with over two million people receiving at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, as per the data released by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Tuesday.Through the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, as many as 2,013,080 people have received at least one dose while 1,695,471 got both doses. More than 80% of people above 16 years have got at least one dose of the vaccine so far.With the National Vaccination Campaign starting in the last week of December last year, Qatar is now among the very few countries with the largest percentage of the population having been vaccinated.The data also revealed that a total of 3,708,551 doses have been given in the country until now. A total of 81% of people above 16 years have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 68.6% have got both doses.Further, 98.6% of people above 60 years (the most vulnerable population group) have been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 93.5% receiving both doses. Similarly, 96.2% of those above 40 years have received at least one dose and 86.3% have got the two doses. The statistics also revealed that 22,960 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country in the past 24 hours.Meanwhile, the MoPH reported 86 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 among the community and 60 among travellers while 96 people recovered from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in the country to 223,210.Regarding the current Covid-19 status, the MoPH said: "In recent weeks, the combined impact of Covid-19 restrictions and increasing vaccination rates, and the overwhelming support of the community, has resulted in a consistent reduction in the number of new daily infections in the country."However, it is still important to be cautious as the second wave is not yet over and there are still two highly contagious and highly virulent strains of the virus that are actively circulating in the community.”Phase 3 of the gradual lifting of restrictions began on July 9 and is part of a four-phase plan to be delivered over the coming months.The date of implementation and duration of each next phase will depend on the epidemic indicators, which rely to a great extent on the degree of compliance of community members with the current measures, restrictions and guidance by the government."For now, it is important that people, including those who are vaccinated, continue to wear a mask as advised and maintain social distancing," MoPH stressed."With Covid-19 still a threat to our health here in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following precautionary measures," the ministry advised. These are adherence to physical distancing, avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where people congregate, wearing a face mask and washing hands regularly.People should take the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest opportunity when their turn comes, the statement added.The ministry has also advised that anyone suffering from Covid-19 symptoms should contact the 16000 helpline immediately. This is important as the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.